What is immunity?

Immunity is the most used word in today's human life. If you are Immune to something it has no effect on you. You might be immune to a disease. That means it cannot reach you.

The immune system is what protects your body from diseases or infections. Immune system is one of the most important indicators of vitality of an individual. The immune system represents the capacity of an individual to defend their health against physical, emotional and environmental challenges.

Immunity & Ayurveda

Immunity as we understand it through western medicines is the function of certain cells, enzymes and immunomodulary chemicals that attack pathogens and prevent them from creating diseases. This concept of invasion from microorganisms and a biological defense system against it led to the development of the range of antibiotics and vaccines in the 20th century. Various developments in the last decade like the emergence of autoimmune issues, widespread antibiotic resistance in microbes and wider understanding of friendly bacteria and its functions, specifically inside our gut have forced us to rethink the unidirectional concept of the immune system.

According to WHO about 3 quarters of the world population relies upon traditional remedies mainly herbs for the health care of its people.

It is quite interesting to note that Ayurveda had elaborately described immunity and prevention of diseases much before of the western researches on immunity.

In Ayurveda for Cancer, diseases are broadly classified as Nija and Aguntuja.

Nija disease are those which are caused by an imbalance that has originated within one's body and can be mostly prevented from occurring by understanding one's natural tendencies. Cancer can be included in this group.

Agantuja disease is caused by an external factor which may include various injuries, both physical and mental trauma and lack of focused health and hygiene policies within a particular society.

All the infectious diseases can be included in this group.

Immunity & Cancer

In principle tumour development in cancer can be controlled by immune system. However, cancer cells evolve different mechanisms that mimic peripheral immune tolerance in order to avoid any attack.

But if we didn’t have an immune system, we'd all get cancer.

There is a fine balance between the burden of cell mutation and how well our immune system can fight it off. It is always alert to threats. When the immune system is overwhelmed by a tumor that it fails to identify and respond to the threat, a person is attacked by cancer. Indeed, it is possible, even likely, that your immune system may regularly fight off cancer or pre-cancer on a regular basis without you even knowing it. We all have a mechanism to filter out a small amount of cancer cells to prevent us from having visible cancer in the body. Over time, that balance becomes lost. The tipping point at which cancer begins to overwhelm the immune system is not always known.

Ayurveda for Cancer

We all know that the Ayurveda is one and only medical science based on the balance in every level, including immune system of the body. In western medicine immunomodulators are used to maintain this balance or to enhance the power of immunesystem.

Immunomodulators are considered now as one of the most potent tools in the management of health and disease. The basic concepts of immunomodulation not only existed in Ayurveda but is being really practiced by the Ayurvedists for centuries. In fact one of the therapeutic strategies in Ayurveda medicines is to enhance the body's overall natural resistance to the disease causing agent rather than directly neutralizing the agent itself.

Here lies the difference between the fundamental therapeutic approach of Ayurveda and Western medicines.

In Ayurveda the objective of immunity enhancement is achieved through the use of Rasayana therapy.

The word Rasayana a combination of two words. Rasa and ayana. It refers to nutrition and its transportation throughout the body.

Rasayan therapy enhances the qualities of rasa, enriching it with nutrients so one can attain longevity, improved memory and intelligence, freedom from disorder.

As a dedicated stream of medication for immune promotion anti degenerative and rejuvenating health care, the Rasayan therapy of Ayurveda is known to prevent the effects of ageing and improve the quality of life for healthy as well as diseased individuals.

It has been reported that the Rasayans are rejuvenators, nutritional supplements and possess strong antioxidants. They also exert antagonistic actions on oxidative stressors, giving rise to the formation of different free radicals. The Rasayans seem to operate through immnostimulant, immunoadjuvants and immunosuppressant activities or by affecting the arm of the immune response.

Examples of Ayurveda for Cancer as Rasayan Drugs

Now let’s have a look on following few herbs which can be used to prepare Rasayana drugs.

o Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)
o Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
o Amalaki (Embelica officinalis)
o Tulasi (Ocimum santum)
o Neem(Azadiracta indica)
o Haridra (Curcuma longa)
o Yastimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
o Pippali (Piper longum)

These combination drugs can potentiate every components of immunity.